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This page brought to you by:
Roger Binkley and Chase Binkley from TN
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
SPRING CRAPPIE RUN SLOWS TO A WALK…ANGLERS MYSTIFIED!
It’s past mid-April and crappie anglers on Kentucky Lake are somewhat
mystified at the lack of cooperation they’ve gotten this year from both
the weatherman and the fish themselves.
Jane and Tom from TN
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Things haven’t been normal by any stretch of the imagination. Below
average surface temperatures and weird weather have thrown the
biological clock of crappie off. Most anglers agree it needs a reset.
The weather finally improved on Tuesday for the fishing scene but the
fish have been sluggish to get going. Overall, the crappie bite on
Kentucky Lake continues to be below average and nowhere near the lake’s
reputation.
Catch rates continue to be low for anglers up and down the reservoir.
Most are hoping this week’s warm up will enhance the bite and perhaps
stimulate crappie to head toward shallows and start their overdue spring
spawning phase.
Surface temperatures have been sluggish to climb out of the mid 50’s all
spring. At midweek temps were barely reaching the 60-degree mark up Big
Sandy and West Sandy, which normally warm quicker that other areas of
the reservoir.
On Monday surface temps had lost ground and dropped back to 54 degree in
some bays to start the week. Cold fronts from last weekend were still
influencing things.
On Tuesday the water slowly warmed to the 58 degree range in the Paris
Landing sector. By this weekend the water should be in the 62 to 64
degree range, a reading that would normally be recorded in early April.
Lake levels have been rising this week and are about two feet above
normal for this time of year. A lot of floating debris was visible and
messing with the lines of anglers as they attempted to long line, spider
rig or just plain vertical fish over midrange depth beds.
Elevation at midweek, while still rising, was in the 359.5 range in the
New Johnsonville area. Downstream at Kentucky Dam TVA was projecting
359.2 by the end of the week. Normal summer pool is 359 feet above sea
level and normally shouldn’t be showing up until May 1.
TVA has the reservoir already above summer pool some two weeks early.
Rising lake levels often scatter fish and that seems to be the case for
both bass and crappie anglers thus far this week.
Water color is pretty good across the reservoir with a slight stain in
the main lake and bays.
As far as the crappie spawn goes anglers have yet to see the fish make a
blitz toward structure like they usually do. Not many dark male crappie
are showing up in the creel, although some boats in West Sandy reported
catching a few suspended fish recently. The scenario could improve by
this weekend as waters warm and lake levels crest.
Still, a variety of boats using a variety of techniques in all depth
ranges are reporting tough luck. The keeper size fish just haven’t been
showing up in decent numbers.
More than a few veteran crappie fishermen are removing their hats and
scratching their heads in disbelief. Truth is, they’re somewhat
flabbergasted by it all.
A few boats dragging long line techniques using curly tail grubs or Road
Runner style jigs have landed a few fish that seemed to be suspended out
over deep water venues in the main lake. However, they report fish very
scattered and no concentration of suspended fish staging out there like
they have in times past.
Spider rig techniques have also struggled to mount a successful battle
plan as have anglers vertical fishing live minnows and jigs over manmade
fish attractors in shallow to midrange depths. It’s past time for fish
to be moving up in bays and occupying some shallow shorelines.
Other techniques such as trolling crankbaits and covering a lot of water
have paid dividends at times back in some of the bays where fish were
scattered and staging.
Another red flag continues to present itself as anglers are voicing
concern over thin crappie. Even what few big fish have been taken seem
to show a poor condition at times as though they were competing for a
below average forage base, namely threadfin shad.
Not all the fish poor as to their physiology but there are enough of
them that anglers are somewhat concerned.
And so it is that the strange spring fishing continues for crappie
anglers who are wondering what’s up? Perhaps this weekend and throughout
next week will see a rebound.
Meanwhile, bass anglers are heading toward shorelines this week as the
rising water has inundated some shallow shoreline habitat. While a few
boats are still slinging crankbaits toward gravel points and banks, many
were tossing spinnerbaits, Texas rigged craws and lizards while itchy to
add some topwater to their presentations.
Bass were moving up fast and following the water to shallow grass and
some buck bushes that just received water earlier this week. No doubt
anglers will be pitching and flipping jig and pig combos and similar
bait presentations in the days ahead toward visible shoreline cover.
The bass bite has held up much better than has the crappie bite for
Kentucky Lake anglers this spring.
Also check out our past:
Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
Steve McCadams is one of the nation's best known Crappie Fishermen
and a full time resident of Paris, Tennessee. Steve is also a
professional hunting and fishing guide here in the Paris Landing area.
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